Westfield Stratford and Westfield London boost Christmas shopping footfall

Westfield London and Stratford City saw record festive footfall this year, helping to dispel fears of retail gloom over the Christmas period.

Christmas footfall was up 11 per cent year-on-year with 15.6m visitors visiting the centres from the start of November, the owner of the two shopping centres, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, announced today, while Boxing Day shoppers hit 350,000 – an increase of nine per cent year-on-year. 

The shopping centres saw a record 1.2m “super weekend”, which is the last weekend before Christmas, and Boxing Day was the second busiest day ever in the history of Westfield London after its opening day more than 10 years ago.

Unibal-Rodamco-Westfield brand and strategic marketing group director Myf Ryan said: “Our festive footfall figures reveal this has been the busiest ever Christmas period for our London destinations.

“We’ve seen a record 15.6m people through our doors – at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City – with huge crowds before and after the big day.

“Retailers have reported best ever trading periods with some having to undertake emergency restocking.

“The numbers are a testament to the investment we’ve made in putting the customer at the core and creating the very best environment and experience for our visitors and retailers alike. The expansion of Westfield London in the centre;s 10th anniversary year, including the creation of a dedicated Home Quarter for major homewares retailers, is just one example of that belief.”

The positive update comes after Next and John Lewis defied expectations by increasing sales over the Christmas period.